


A fate worse than expulsion

by The_Great_Nation



Series: The life of Bakugou Izuku [10]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Annoying Zote, Beware Zote the Almighty, Bretta is a sweetheart, Gen, Mentor Nedzu (My Hero Academia), Sadistic Nedzu, She had no idea what is really going on
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:34:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24323614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Great_Nation/pseuds/The_Great_Nation
Summary: Everyone envied class 1-A because they knew that expulsion was a much better punishment than what Principal Nedzu had planned.
Series: The life of Bakugou Izuku [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1643749
Comments: 1
Kudos: 130





	A fate worse than expulsion

There is no question that class 1-A is the envy of UA. At first it was due to status as the cream of the crop when it came to hero potential. This envy mainly came from the other first-year hero course and some of the general education population. 

However, the other classes had plenty to envy as well. The support department envied the money given to the hero department in comparison to their own. Sure, they received a lot of money, but nowhere near as much as it would take to rebuild entire cities overnight. 

The business class envied the carefree nature the class seemed to present. They knew it was hard work to become a hero, but the world of business was nearly just as cut throat as the heroes. What’s worse is that the heroes at least had to pretend to be nice, it was not the case in business. A fight had broken out over the proper way to supplement construction costs within the first week of the new year.

From this first fight came the true source of envy that every student, regardless of class or grade held for the 1-A students. They had Aizawa as a homeroom teacher.

To the first years it seemed like getting expelled from the prestigious hero academy of your dreams was a fate worse than death, but that was an amateurs mistake.

Sure Aizawa’s punishments were beyond harsh, but they were quick and efficient like ripping off a bandaid. It hurt at first, but was likely beneficial in the end. 

For the rest of the student population at UA their punishments rested in the hands of their own homeroom teachers.

Minor offenses would often lead to being forced to stand in the hall or to perform clean up duty, but anything more than that, like say a fight between students, was left to the principal.

Those freshman business students were the first to experience cruelty among the newcomers. Older students looked on with pity as they saw the two young pupils heading unknowingly into the lion's den. 

By the end of the day they had become the talk of all the upperclassmen, although such whispers were carefully kept away from the first years. It is best for them to believe through experience.

Two students entered the principal's office expecting at worst to be expelled. They had come up with a thousand flowery words to say to the principal when they entered the office as they walked. Both of them realized that it was best to stick up for one another if they wanted to make it back to their class at all. They were business students after all and survival was prioritized at all costs. 

Since they had attended the ceremony on the first day the principal's odd appearance did not faze them. However, it did leave an unwise prejudice in their brains. Sure Nedzu might be known for his intellect that outmatched all of humanity, but he also looked like a cute plush toy a little kid might be found clutching.

They assumed that such a cute looking creature wouldn’t have a sadistic side. Oh, how wrong they were.

At first it seemed their imagination was right, they did not get expelled but were rather given a day volunteering at a nearby hero retirement home.

Above all UA was a school prepping heroes and the people who worked around and with them. This meant that community service was a great way to punish unruly students and help the community at the same time. 

The two first years were excused for class that day to spend the whole day volunteering.

Greeting them at the entrance was a kind plump middle-aged woman named Bretta. She introduced herself as the owner of the establishment. At one point she too had a part of the hero community as a sidekick, although she never advanced further than that. Like many other wanna-be heroes she was ultimately passed over and forgotten by the public after her initial debut.

It was during her time as a sidekick patrolling the streets of the city that she first ran into a retired hero.

She waxed poetry of her meeting with this hero once known as the Grey-Prince and his inspiring stories from his days as a hero. They walked through endless pristine halls until they reached a room that held many mingling people in a variety of ages and appearances.

There was no surprise in their eyes as they noted that the youngest occupant in the room who was not a worker was in their late 30s to early 40s. Being a hero was a physically strenuous job so those who were not killed in the line of duty or gifted with a quirk that enabled them to continue working often retired quite early by modern standards.

The younger retired heroes likely spent most of their money soon after leaving the hero community and were left destitute as a result. Most heroes chose not to get married or have children out of fear for their safety so they had little to no family to rely on.

Luckily the government had taken to Bretta’s idea for a hero retirement home with gusto. Especially after she received the support of a famous singer named Myla and later a vote of confidence from the principal of UA himself.

The students would act as a buddy for some of the more elderly heroes who had trouble mingling with their former comrades. Sharing the same profession did not mean that they all got along nor did it mean they shared similar interests so, despite the large population in the home, some were left in self-imposed isolation.

Bretta’s expression took a more saddened look as she explained the first hero she brought into her fold, the Terrifying, Beautiful, Powerful, Grey Prince Zote was one those heroes who just didn’t get along with many others.

Feeling a sense of pity formed from a naivety they would later regret one of the students volunteered to be this Zote’s partner for the day.

A mistake they would regret for the rest of their days.

Bretta led the first student to a kindly looking female hero lacking an arm. She gave the two of them a farewell and a wish for good luck before dragging the remaining student deeper into the room and down another hallway.

It seemed this was another hallway of dorms for the heroes and they stopped before a nice looking door.

Since the former heroes belonged to a wide range of ages and quirks the rooms were quite large and resembled a luxury hotel more than a dorm room.

There was an ensuite bath attached to the inner hallway and a kitchenette with counters and a refrigerator to the left. Further into the room was a small sitting area, desk and bed. 

Sitting on the carpeted floor was a small figure that the student almost mistook for a child.

Bretta sighed dreamily next to them with a compassionate look in her eyes as she whispered that the Grey Prince liked to meditate to keep his mind and body in peak performance.

However, with the presence of more than herself she regretfully interrupted the figure's meditation.

As the person turned to look at the pair standing in the entryway the student blanched at the face that greeted them.

The face had sunken in eyes plagued by heavy bags and an ever-present scowl. They couldn’t tell whether this man was 7 or 70 and that was the first bit of unease they felt about the whole situation.

This person did not look beautiful nor terrifying, let alone did he look like a former hero. Even from the gathering area the student could tell that all those former heroes held a certain air to them no matter how feeble they currently looked. 

They had a look in their eyes, some haunted and sad, but still strong in their own right.

From this Zote they saw none of that. In fact they could find nothing in those sunken in dark eyes. Bretta was quick to introduce the two of them to one another and just as quick to escape the room with a cheery wave and call for good luck.

Unlike the first student, this one would surely need it.

With no school for them that day and no escape from the room to be found, given the room had both a kitchen and bathroom, this student was forced to endure torture far worse than expulsion.

For hours, non-stop hours, they endured a grating droning annoying voice rambling stories of victory and achievements that even a child could see the falsehood of.

They wanted to believe that the kindly Bretta who had brought them here was just stupid and not so malicious as to leave them with what must have been a villain that infiltrated the home of heroes.

Even when they tried to escape to the bathroom they could hear the voice through the door and walls. The exterior walls were soundproofed, but the walls within the room such as the bathroom and closet walls were not so fully protected.

Zote did not stop to eat, drink, or relieve himself for the 7 hours the student remained. No matter how much they offered him food or drink he didn’t stop. Hell, when he took the chocolate that was offered, the only thing the student saw him eat, he talked with his mouth full making the whole situation worse. 

When Bretta came to retrieve them from their personal hell they wept for joy.

“Oh, were you so moved by the Prince’s words that you were brought to tears! Many of your upperclassmen felt the same way you know, no need to feel embarrassed!”

Their classmate took one look at their haggard appearance, then to the still droning (old?) man in the room and suddenly whitened at the bullet they had just dodged.

When the students returned the next day they were told to talk to the Principal before returning to class.

What once looked cute, now looked like a demon. The shiny glint in their principal's eyes could no longer be likened to the glassy reflection of a stuffed animal’s eyes, but now it was more like the shine of a knife in the light.

Both shuddered at the evil smile that curled across the muzzle and crinkled those small cruel eyes. 

“I think our friend here has learned a very valuable lesson, but I don’t believe that you have learned yours. From what Miss Bretta told me you only spent a small portion of your time conversing with your partner. Now, I believe that for today you should return and try again! Our friend here, however, is all good to return to class. I trust we won’t have a repeat performance?”

One student nodded vigorously while the other hoped they had enough time to stop for earplugs on their way to the home.

No one quite believed that the punishment the principal gave was quite as harsh as the students who came back made it seem. How bad could community service with old people really be?

It took one month and six more students being sent away only to come back looking like hell for the rumors to stick and for fear to fill the hearts of the younger student body. 

Class 1-B was the last to learn of the torture that awaited them. Perhaps it was due to the fear that Vlad would expel them instantly like Aizawa, but no one acted up enough to warrant a trip to the principal for a long time.

Monoma, the annoying, but surprisingly dense and stubborn hero-to-be broke after being forced to work for three days. His punishment was prolonged because Nedzu did not believe he had learned his lesson.

The boy returned quiet and polite and a much more diligent student. Lessons were no longer interrupted with snarky comments nor were the free periods filled with jokes at the expense of the other hero classes.

In fact he didn’t even return to his quips for two weeks, but it seemed that even the hellish punishment given by the principal could not completely change so stubborn a student as Monoma. Although he was clearly more subdued and less enthusiastic about his criticism. Always looking over his shoulder before he spoke too brash or loud.

Everyone envied class 1-A because they knew that expulsion was a much better punishment than what awaited them.

**Author's Note:**

> Can I just say that this was a lot of fun to write. Ever since I had a dream with Zote as Gran Torino I couldn't get this idea out of my head for the life of me.
> 
> I'll leave it up to y'all to imagine whether Zote has a quirk or not. Maybe it's the ability to make gullible people believe every word he says without a doubt, or maybe he is just some quirkless guy with delusions of grandeur. 
> 
> I prefer to think he is just quirkless, but in the long run it doesn't really matter. Another idea I had is just him being All for One and the Nomu are just Zotelings. A frightening concept.
> 
> Still I hope you all enjoyed! idk what I'll write next so it may be a while till I update, but with quarantine I've got plenty of time to think and try to beat Absolute Radiance.


End file.
